Project 365: Day 39-41 Part 2

Woke up the next morning and immediately headed out to Mission Bay to go beach hopping. We walked along the shore and PP posed for many pictures. During the picture taking, we were so intent on getting good shots that we completely missed the massive wave splashing onto the beach. PP's shoes were totally soaked from the experience but she eventually walked it off! After the beaches, our next target was Balboa Park. This place was pretty cool with very unique architecture and lots of nice scenic spots. If there is one thing that sucked about San Diego, it was the parking. It took forever to find parking anywhere and the best example was during our lunch at Fish Market Restaurant. The parking lot was completely full, the valet was completely full, all the lots close by were full. I ended up parking about a mile away in a paid parking lot. The food was totally worth it though. I had the lobster while PP had the Tilapia and both dishes were perfect. The lobster was fresh and juicy and the Tilapia was wonderfully flaky and seasoned. To cap off the meal, the restaurant even gave out long stem roses since it was Valentine's Day. After a wonderfully tasty lunch, it was off to Sea World to see Shamu and friends. Even though we got there relatively late in the day and only had about 5 hours, we managed to see pretty much everything in the park including the Shamu show and Sea Lions Live. PP was pretty tired after Sea World so we headed back to the hotel. While PP rested, I headed on over to Kiratomato's place to visit Kira and Lemon. Kira took us over to a hotpot hosted by his Dragon Boat racing crew then back home where I took this nice picture of Kira's bookshelf.

Project 365: Day 39-41 Part 1

Our trip to the West Coast was pretty awesome. Got into San Diego on time and the weather was just fantastic: 76 degrees and sunny. We had quite a bit of frustration waiting at the Avis car rental counter. There was a huge long line and only 2 people helping. This lead to almost an hour wait just to get into our rental vehicle (They really do care...)
Our hotel room wasn't ready yet so we headed off to Tofu House with PP's MBA classmate for some lunch. After lunch, we checked into our room at Travel Lodge and were pleasantly surprised. We had read some nightmarish stories of conditions at Travel Lodges, but this one was clean and organized. After changing into some shorts and a T-Shirt, it was off to the beach to see some pregnant seals. They were rather.....unimpressive and mostly just laid there basking in the sun. The view was fantastic though as we walked up and down the beaches near La Jolla. After the beat, we went to see Old Town which was a replica of the classic original settlement point for California. The highlight of Old Town was a candy shop where I ended up splurging on salt water taffy and assorted chocolate and fudge. We ended the day by walking around the harbor while viewing a random assortment of stuff including skateboarding chicken, rock balancing, singing parrots, and even an aircraft carrier!

Project 365: Day 38

I decided to try out Edible Arrangements today and ordered their Sweetheart Bouquet. It turned out fantastic as the strawberries looked wonderful while the chocolate coating was delicious. Wish the picture turned out better though.

Project 365: Day 37

三国杀 is the latest and greatest craze going on in China right now. Essentially it is just Bang! set in the Three Kingdoms era with the addition of a "counter" card. There are loyalties and many different special abilities but the basic gameplay is very much the same as Bang! I think I'll bring it to SD and the next VO to see if we can have some fun playing it. The Chinese characters and rulebook may pose somewhat of an obstacle, but with Catnip and jOrange's help, this shouldn't be a problem.

Project 365: Day 36

I took my camera to work this morning in hopes of catching the sun rising over Houston. It was really hard trying to not get my reflection on the glass. This was the best one I could get.

Project 365: Day 35

PP swears by her secret concoction to help her skin stay smooth and beautiful. While I was able to capture glimpses of what it looks like, the hidden ingredients may never be known to man.

Project 365: Day 34

PP sometimes gets a snack attack and wants sweet things. No, she's not pregnant. Anyhow, this particular Superbowl Sunday, she suddenly had a craving for cookies. We created a list of possible candidates: Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Shortbread cookies, vanilla wafers, and animal crackers. I went down to the local Walgreens and found that they had snack packs of cookies on sale for 99 cents! Needless to say, I purchased every single kind and PP enjoyed a glorious Superbowl!

Project 365: Day 33

It's almost Chinese New Year and as per tradition, we made dumplings this afternoon. However, there was an added twist in the dough was made from whole wheat! M and PP made the dumplings while I was in charge of rolling the dough and making the wrappings. Needless to say, because of my awesome wrap-making abilities, none of the dumplings broke in the water and they tasted uber! Oh and I guess the people who made the dumplings deserve some of the credit too....

Project 365: Day 32

PP and I went to a Chinese New Year celebration at the local Chinese Civic Center today. We chatted with a lot of M's friends and even met the local District Councilman. The food was pretty sweet with these awesome jalapeno/pepper gulf shrimp and delicious slow cooked brisket. I caught one person taking a stealth snack before everyone arrived.

Project 365: Day 31

A penny saved is a penny earned! For a cute gift, M got us matching piggy banks. This one is totally cute and sweet and represents PP. The one that represents me...is...not as cute.

Project 365: Day 30

Our team went out for bowling during lunch today. The bowling alley has a deal where you pay $10 and get lunch and a game. This was my attempt to capture a sweet strike...unfortunately, 1 pin stood afterwords.

Project 365: Day 29

Ever since I stopped drinking sodas, I have been on the lookout for something to act like a substitute. I tried vitamin waters, teas, various fruit drinks but they were all either too expensive or too dull. This is until I found these wonderful drink mixes from Walmart. Three bucks lets you make 5 gallons of the stuff and it comes in so many different flavors. Now, when I get bored of the usual water, I use this to add some sweetness.

Project 365: Day 28

The theme for the next 2 weeks is "sweetness." I think this is a fitting place to start. While EA hasn't always produced the best games, the Battlefield series have always been sweet. From the first time =VGI= stormed Omaha beach to the last time we destroyed the Titan on Verdun, the Battlefield series has always been a nest of fond memories. Now that everyone has their own lives, those times may have passed forever, but...we will ALWAYS have Wake Island.

Project 365: Day 27

My wrists had been getting kinda sore at work from using a cramped Dell 104-key keyboard. It was small and I had to bend my wrists at an awkward angle to type. The ergonomics department of my company were amazing as no sooner had I sent a request, as someone came by and dropped off my brand new MS ergonomic keyboard. My wrists now feel way more relaxed and the keyboard will probably delay my impending carpal tunnels by another 10 years or so!

Project 365: Day 26

I am watching the Grammy awards for the first time in a long time and I must say that Catnipped is totally right about Taylor Swift's inability to sing live. She missed a lot of notes and her voice seemed strained through most of her performance. The tribute to MJ was pretty awesome and Bon Jovi brought back a lot of Rock Band memories!

Project 365: Day 25

Visiting friends is always fun and today in the midst of apartment hunting, we again visited our friend from Kazakhstan who decided to cook a homemade meal for us. I am not sure what it was called, but they were these Russian meatballs mixed with rice with a wonderful glaze served with made-from-scratch mashed potatoes. They were so good that I wasn't able to take any pictures before they were all gone. Instead, here is a picture of what was left of the desserts. One highlight of the meal was when I was asked to open a bottle of wine with a can opener.

Project 365: Day 24

Tochi suggested that I take pictures of signs we don't follow. While this picture is probably exceptionally uncreative, I feel the irony speaks for itself!

Project 365: Day 23

Since the introduction of PP, I find myself spending a lot more of my time in the malls..curiously enough. I am sure everyone has had this experience at one point or another. You have 5 or 6 bags of all different sizes and weights and as you struggle with carrying all of them, the bags slowly dig into your hands, tiring them out a lot faster than usual until you cannot feel the circulation at all. Well, I had a great idea to create an ergonomic handle where you can simply string all the bags together and carry it with the handle. This was supposed to be my ticket to fame and fortune. Unfortunately..someone apparently invented it first...sigh. Now I know what Lemon feels like with his accelerometers.

Project 365: Day 22

The yogurt in China is so different from the ones here in the US. Especially the yogurt that is sold in little stands in Beijing. Just a bit sour but oh so good! We were shopping one day at Welcome Food Market when I noticed this little girl with these in her shopping basket. We bought 2 ourselves and they taste JUST like the ones in Beijing...soo good. Now this is pretty much the only yogurt we keep around the house.

Project 365: Day 21

My trusty mouse. It has been with me through so many years. The good games, the horrible games. Now we embark on the journey known as Mass Effect 2. Am I just a little weird talking like this? Yes, but Mass Effect 2 will do that!

Project 365: Day 20

So...tired...from hot yoga...So here's a picture I took at the Magic Kingdom.

Project 365: Day 19

Stafford is a decent enough place to live, but it's not exactly trendy or exciting. It tends to get pretty boring living here after a while and PP and I are considering moving out to somewhere closer to uptown. It will be a shorter commute and hopefully a slightly more exciting lifestyle.

Project 365: Day 18

Mmmm, desserts. I am actually enrolled in the company biggest loser competition again this year. However...this fruit custard pie was just too good to refuse....

Project 365: Day 17

At long last, after 160+ hours, I finally finished Dragon Age: Origins. Even after putting so much time into it, there were still a lot of different dialogue trees I missed because I took the goodie-goodie route and basically kept a static party of Alistair, Leliana, and Wrynne. If I have the time, I would like to go through it again to explore more of the evil choices, but alas, Mass Effect 2 is right around the corner!

Project 365: Day 16

PP is putting in a 3-year commitment to get her CFA. She was waffling back and forth because of the total time commitment needed, but eventually she convinced herself it was worth it career-wise to take the CFA examinations. Unfortunately, she had no time to rest as the CFA people immediately sent her exam material for her to get started on the studying. No rest for the weary.

Project 365: Day 15

Houston weather is amusing. Freezing one week, warm and temperatures in the 70s another. This is just a picture of downtown Houston taken while I waited for my bus. My office is the one on the far right.

Project 365: Day 14

IKEA has been a pretty good place for us. Both our computer, living, and bedrooms have furniture bought from IKEA. It does take a little extra work to assemble all the furniture but that is totally half the fun. Nothing like a lot of cursing, sweating, and sometimes bleeding to help you bond with your furniture!

Project 365: Day 13

Day 2 of hot yoga seemed a lot more of a sweat bath than the first. I was literally drenched with sweat after the class. My clothes were completely soaked including my shorts. I was totally thirsty coming back and just couldn't resist going to taco bell for a diet Dr. Pepper. Ahhhh....tastes just like regular Dr. Pepper.

Project 365: Day 12

I experienced or shall I say, survived my first hot yoga session. Yes, I know, my mind was filled with visions of Yoga Fire and Yoga Flame while sliding under fireballs as well, but alas, it wasn't nearly as flashy. Basically, the room is set at 105 degrees and you go through a set of 26 positions, each stretching a different set of muscles. It was basically yoga combined with sauna. A sweaty good time for all! Going back for more tomorrow.

Project 365: Day 11

Anyone in the market for a certified (by me) pre-owned 2001 Nissan Altima? Only 125k miles and runs great! It's a handyman's dream vehicle!

Project 365: Day 10

PP has lots of earrings and accessories for her outfits. She always has the right pair for the right occasion. Of course she has almost lost several from multiple pairs, but a wonderfully awesome person always seems to find them.

Project 365: Day 9

Most people know that I have a soft spot for playing cards. I usually try to get them as souvenirs from places I have been or from places that other friends visit. I couldn't find where I put the other sets, but this is probably a large portion of the total number of decks that I have. =)

Project 365: Day 8

"It's not dirty..it's busy!" Yes, yes, it sure is busy. This is PP's desk located in the computer room. The walls are painted "Classic Yellow" from the recent renovations and feel very warm and vibrant.

Project 365: Day 7

This is our living room, painted in "dancing green" The couch is newly acquired from Rooms-To-Go and is really comfortable. Plenty of room for the next VO!

Project 365: Day 6

我家欢迎你！！ As you can see, the full force of assorted stuffed animals at the ole homestead. Santa Bear smothers enemies with his jolly goodness, Jingjing obliterates foes with his power of happiness, Wells Fargo Horse devastates with ummm.. stuff, and Snow Man has his stare of doom.

Project 365: Day 5

It was something like 20 degrees last night and this morning the fountain outside our subdivision was nice and iced over. I wouldn't say it makes a good ice skating rink or anything, but the ice is pretty visible.

Project 365: Day 4

Mother Nature decided to wreak havoc on our plumbing system by freezing a major valve in our sprinkler system. Needless to say, the valve was held together by 3 plastic supports and all 3 snapped off like twigs from being made brittle by the freeze. We came back from shopping today to find a nice new water fountain in our backyard. In this picture you can see the remains of the valve on the ground next to the pipes.

Project 365: Day 3

Houston is not exactly synonymous with frigid temperatures but this week has been extremely cold. Supposedly, it's the lowest temperature it has been in 20 years. I swear, I saw some penguins moving onto my lawn.

Project 365: Day 2

Surprise surprise...another picture of a bedroom. Yes, I know, very uncreative. But give me a break, it's freezing outside!! Anyhow, this is the guest bedroom, painted "Uber." No one currently lives here, so it serves as PP's personal closet =)

Inspired by jOrange..Project365

jOrange is on a project to take 1 picture each day for 1 year. Since I am new to photography, he recommended I do the same. Without further to do, here is Day 1:

This is a picture of our bedroom, painted "Cozy." Disregard the wine glass and multiple bottles on the window sill. I assure you we are not rampant alcoholics..yet.

Project Orlando: Day 1-Epcot Center

Woke up at 5:00 am so that we could get to the airport on time for our 7:40 am flight. We opted to park our car at Park and Fly 2 since we saw a big sign that said covered parking for only $6 a day! Turns out that all the covered parking was full so we ended up parking on a huge patch of grass next to the lot. The area was originally fenced off since it was under construction, but apparently, business was so good that the owners actually cut big holes in the chain-linked fence to allow cars to park on the field.

The flight was uneventful and we got into Orlando and learned of our strict travel schedule. After dropping off our luggage, we were off to Epcot Center. I had remembered coming here when I was 8 years old and the only thing I really remembered was the symbolic sphere in front.

For whatever reason, I really didn't find Epcot Center all that fun. We didn't know how to take advantage of the "Speed Pass" system yet while most of the rides or attractions had really long lines and were pretty bland with the one exception being Journey to Mars. This ride actually offered two options: a green one for less intense and an orange one for more intense. It was so intense that they had barf bags inside the ride in case you had to throw up during the ride. Being the daredevils we were, we opted for the more intense version and it was fantastic. While M and PP really didn't like it as much, I totally loved the feeling of being exposed to G-forces.

The ride basically made you feel like you were being blasted off in a rocket headed to Mars, orbited Mars in Zero-G conditions, then made a crash landing onto the Mars surface. Each person was given some small task to do which boiled down to pushing some buttons, but the actions had no effect on what happened during the ride. The only thing I would complain about the ride was that it was so short considering the hour or so we waited in line. It was just getting fun when all of a sudden it ended.

We made the rounds through the park, stopping off at some of the "must see" attractions that the tour group had recommended. These included a piece on Norway featuring Viking culture and another on Canada which was in a panoramic theater. While the presentations were good, none of it really stood out as being very entertaining. We ate some expensive noodles/sushi in the section dedicated to Japan then walked around some more until we felt like going home.

Since we were not supposed to go to Epcot the first day, there was no transportation from the tour company. We ended up taking a huge roundabout trip on the Disney shuttles and finally taking a cab from Downtown Disney.

Project Orlando: Overview

It has been a while since I blogged anything. Mostly I was too lazy, but perhaps with the New Year, I will be re-energized to blog more. The Orlando trip during Christmas was pretty fun, but was also a trying time because of a pretty big mistake with the planning: Using a travel agency.

Originally the plan was to get hotel/rental car separately so we had some freedom in where to go. But, at the last moment, I was convinced to go with a travel package that included transportation and hotel at a good price. Unfortunately for us, the package was from some Chinese travel service that loved to skimp corners.

1. Our tickets were "Youth" tickets. This meant that we could not take advantage of the "add a day" pricing plan that all the Disney parks offered. Basically, "add a day" allowed anyone to add more days onto a ticket for significantly less each day. Instead of paying $40 or so for adding Epcot to our travels, we had to pay the full $75 per person

2. Our "hotel" was dirty, loud, and filled with tourists. Because of the tourism, it lead to a very interesting "Taxi" adventure on Day 5.

3. The provided transportation was strictly based on the travel agencies' schedule. this meant we had no freedom in planning our trip and if we wanted to go anywhere else or visit the parks in a different order, we had to pay for our own transportation.

4. Mandatory "tip" of $3 per person, per trip for the drivers. Considering that each morning we had to use them to get to the parks then each night use them to get back, we had to pay $18 per day.

Besides the travel agency headaches, we also didn't realize just how cold Orlando would get. I had checked the weather beforehand, and saw the forecast was going to be several degrees warmer than Houston so we packed light sweater and jackets. Then a cold front came in which caused mornings and evenings to be bitterly cold.

Overall though, the experience was positive and we had a lot of fun. Our plan for the 5 days was as follows:

Day 1: Travel/Half day at Epcot
Day 2: Magic Kingdom
Day 3: Universal Studios
Day 4: Animal Kingdom
Day 5: Orlando Outlet/Travel